Wagyu beef cheeks braised in red wine and San Marzano tomatoes with soffritto, garlic and rosemary. Falls apart with a spoon; loves fresh pappardelle. A cold-Sunday centrepiece that punches well above its price point.
Cook it right
- 01
Season & sear
Season the cheeks generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over high heat and sear cheeks in batches until deeply caramelised on all sides — 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- 02
Build the soffritto
Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil, onion, carrot and celery. Sweat gently for 10 minutes until softened and sweet. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- 03
Deglaze
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in red wine, scrape the base, and simmer until almost fully reduced — about 5 minutes.
- 04
Braise low & slow
Return the cheeks to the pot with any resting juices. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, rosemary and bay. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and slide into a 150 °C oven for 5 – 5½ hours, until the meat surrenders to a fork.
- 05
Shred & finish
Lift the cheeks out, shred with two forks, discard any large fat pieces, and return to the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to thicken. Season to taste.
- 06
Serve
Cook pappardelle to al dente, toss through the ragu with a splash of pasta water, and finish with grated pecorino and torn basil. Serve immediately.
- Wagyu cheeks are richer than standard beef cheek — resist the urge to add butter to the sauce.
- The ragu freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Portion into 500 g bags for a mid-week rescue meal.
Order the exact cut this recipe was built around — Halal-certified, cold-chain delivered.
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